Depression in Frontotemporal Dementia

Objective: The authors describe mood abnormalities seen in a case series of patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Method: Authors provide a structured review of outpatient and inpatient charts of FTD patients. Results: Three distinct depressive syndromes were identified: The first corresponds to DSM-IV major depression. The second is a syndrome of mood lability with prominent responsiveness to the environment. The third is a syndrome of profound apathy, without other evidence of depression. Conclusion: A variety of mood disorders are seen in FTD, requiring careful attention to differential diagnosis. FTD should be included in the differential diagnosis during the evaluation of older patients with mood abnormalities. (Psychosomatics 2009; 50: 239-247)